From Okwe Obi, Abuja
Amid deadly invasions by nomadic pastoralists whose turf wars with farmers have turned fertile fields into battlegrounds, a coalition of stakeholders have proposed the deployment of drones as a potent way to protect farmlands.
Thousands of farmers have been murdered, kidnapped for ransom and millions displaced.
Women farmers are mostly raped, just as many farmers have devised the means of retaliation by lacing their crops with poison which kills the trespassing ruminants.
The situation has grown increasingly complex, as laws and policies, particularly those on ranching, introduced by both federal and state governments, have so far failed to effectively curb the escalating crisis.
It was on the premise that the Chief Executive Officer, Terra Industries, Nathan Nwachukwu, in one of the public outings, suggested the use of drones to watch over farmlands, saying it was a way of dealing with the endless violent clashes are jeopardising national food security and stakeholders are pointing to drones as a solution
Nwachukwu emphasised that the National Drone Surveillance Programme is not a symbolic gesture, but a deliberate and strategic intervention aimed at addressing the urgent need to protect food producers, secure agricultural investments, and ensure that the hard work of Nigeria’s farmers yields meaningful outcomes.
He explained that in the first phase of deployment, drone surveillance coverage would take care of 40,000 hectares in Kogi State, protecting over 20,000 rice farmers operating under the MAIS Cooperative network.
According to him, these drones will deliver 24/7 aerial surveillance, adding that there would be persistent situational awareness, real-time threat detection and alerts, and data analytics to inform security decisions.
Furthermore, he pointed out that the initiative was not only about innovation—it’s about inclusion.
He said: “Our roadmap extends across all 36 states, providing a scalable digital backbone for agro-security, crop monitoring, disaster response, and even smart irrigation in future phases.
“This initiative is not only about innovation—it’s about inclusion. We are embedding drone technology within the cooperative ecosystem so that even the smallest farmer in the remotest part of Nigeria can benefit from real-time security intelligence. That is the beauty of this partnership. It brings together global.
“Together, we will secure our farmlands, empower our farmers, and protect Nigeria’s future. “We are embedding drone technology within the cooperative ecosystem so that even the smallest farmer in the remotest part of Nigeria can benefit from real-time security intelligence. That is the beauty of this partnership. It brings us together global.”
He clarified that food insecurity is not just a rural problem; it is a national emergency. “From climate-related threats to organized farm theft and communal disruptions, Nigerian farmers face daily risks that weaken our food chain and threaten our national stability.
“This drone program is our response, a fusion of technology, trust, and territorial protection,” he said.
Also Benjamin Aduli of Maistrade Multipurpose Cooperative Society Limited, said part of the funds to acquire the drones would come from the $5 billion Cooperative Trust Fund.
Aduli noted that the fund, classified as ‘AssuredInvest Cooperative Trust Fund,’ is to mobilise cooperative capital into national priority sectors such as agriculture, affordable housing, MSMEs, education, green energy, and digital inclusion. Aduli said when properly structured, transparently governed, and purposefully deployed, the fund would unlock the full economic potential of farmers, farmlands, and small businesses.
He explained that the fund is backed by institutional capital, governed by cooperative law, not securities law, driven by clear cooperative use-cases: food production, mechanization, housing, education, clean energy, and digital inclusion.
He said, “The AssuredInvest Fund is more than an investment model; it is a national call to action. Through this fund, we are enabling millions of Nigerians to collectively shape their economic destiny through secure, trusted, and inclusive cooperative finance.”
Also, he complained that for decades, the Nigerian cooperative system has been treated as an afterthought, underutilised, underfinanced, and underestimated, stating that “today, that era ends.
With this Fund, we are shifting from marginalization to mobilization.”
He pointed out that what makes the AssuredInvest Fund historic “is its demand-driven nature.
“Unlike traditional financing models that are supply-driven, flooding the market with unsolicited capital, this fund responds only to verified cooperative demand.
“It is tailored to the real, structured needs of cooperative members, whether that’s a rice farmer in Lokoja, a housing cooperative in Enugu, an MSME cluster in Kaduna, or a youth cooperative in Abeokuta.
“It is not a public investment scheme. It is a secured cooperative financing framework, created by members, for members, and through members.”
According to him, “the Fund will be administered transparently with the oversight of trustee banks, insurance underwriters, and cooperative federations, including our partners from: Cooperative Financing Agency of Nigeria (CFAN); National Agricultural Cooperative Organisation (NACO); Cooperative Housing Federation of Nigeria (COHFON); and the Akilaah National Cooperative Federation (Akilaah).”
“We encourage federations, unions, primary cooperatives, and affiliate networks to engage with the Maistrade Ecosystem, access onboarding kits, and take advantage of this generational opportunity,” he added.
On her part, National President, Women in Agriculture and Cooperative Federation Limited (WIACFL), Dr. Esther Audu, described the initiative as a national re-awakening, saying it is an awakening to the power of collective prosperity, of technological foresight, and of cooperative finance as a tool for development in the food sector.
Audu observed that the launch of a drone-powered farmland surveillance system, starting with 20,000 rice farmers across Kogi State, would bring real-time protection and digital intelligence to the country’s food systems.
“This is the future of agricultural security, and Nigeria is taking the lead. This is not just a launch. It is a signal. A signal that Nigeria’s cooperative movement is ready, ready to scale, ready to secure, and ready to serve,” she added.